Kate Bosworth on Her Denim-on-Denim Obsession and Why She’ll Never Take a Belfie

From wide-leg dojo jeans and flared stretch overalls to frayed cutoffs and distressed boyfriend jackets, there is no denim look that Kate Bosworth has not mastered, so it was only fitting that she was the guest of honor at the Lucky Brand Spring Collection preview party in Los Angeles last night. “I love all denim, head to toe. It’s very California. I’ll wear all light wash or all dark wash,” said Bosworth of her approach to dressing in denim. “But whatever it is, whether it’s a flare or an ankle jean, it has to fit well. Every woman knows when they try on a pair if it feels like ‘no’ or fits like a glove.”

Is there one trend that Bosworth—who sported a Lucky Brand jean jacket with the words Heart Breaker embroidered on the back—has a particular soft spot for? Embellished denim, of which there was plenty in the collection, from stitched Pendleton-inspired graphic patterns to patches featuring florals and hearts decorating everything from high-rise tomboy jeans to classic denim shirts. “I love this embroidered jacket because it’s a bit cheeky and playful, and that’s what denim can embody,” she said. “There was a jacket I had when I was a little girl that was a light wash, very ’80s, and I put pins and patches all over it . . . I would wear that jacket today, I am still so drawn to that kind of denim.” As for the distressed look, well, that’s just not her thing. “I’m not a huge fan of newly distressed jeans; I like them truly lived in or it feels kind of artificial,” she explained. “My favorite jeans are a pair of my husband’s old Levi’s from college. They are naturally distressed and well loved, and I think I love them because he was in them for many years.”

Her penchant for authenticity owes much to her former life as an equestrian champion, too. “I grew up riding horses, and I started riding Western out here in Los Angeles when I was about 5 years old,” said Bosworth. “My uncle was a farrier, so I was always around really distressed chaps and denim that was functional for cleaning tack and mucking out stalls. That was how I was introduced to denim—as utilitywear rather than fashion.” These days, however, the actress has embraced the fact that denim can be both practical and pretty. “You should always feel sexy in denim, whether it’s boyish and oversize—which is more my thing—or skintight, if that is your thing,” she said. As for the perfect pair of butt-hugging jeans? She wouldn’t know. “I personally have never taken a belfie. I’m so shy when it comes to that stuff . . . . That’s for a different generation.”